Books
There is no book that can tell you exactly how to survive after a profound loss. There is no step-by-step guide, no roadmap that makes sense of something that will always feel senseless. Grief doesn’t follow rules—and neither does healing.
But there are books that can help you feel less alone.
Books that offer real-life perspectives from people who have lived through unimaginable loss. Books that gently guide you through the messy, nonlinear process of coping—within yourself, within your family, and alongside your children. Books that don’t try to fix your grief, but instead sit beside you in it.
This is a collection of some of my personal favorites—books that have supported, comforted, and steadied me in different moments along the way.
If there’s a book that has helped you, I would truly love to hear about it. Please email me with any recommendations so we can continue growing this list together—for all of us walking this path.
Best Picture Books for Childhood Grief
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The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
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The Memory Box Joanna Rowland
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I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas
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Something Very Sad Happened by Bonnie Zucker
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The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld
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Ida Always by Caron Levis
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ABC's of Grief by Jessica Correnti
Books for Older Children & Tweens
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When Someone Very Special Dies by Marge Heegaard
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The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia
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Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie
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Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
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The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Books for Caregivers Supporting Grieving Children
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My Teacher, My Son by Nick Shaw
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How Do We Tell the Children? by Dan Schaefer and Christine Lyons
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Healing a Child’s Grieving Heart by Alan D. Wolfelt
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A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children by Phyllis R. Silverman and Madelyn Kelly
